Portable load supporting structure



Aug. 7, 1951 Filed March 30, 1949 PORTABLE LOAD SUPPORTING STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Arzhur/i. Home 3 [NI/[N708 A TTORNEYJ Aug. 7, 1951 A. R. KANE 2,563,470

PORTABLE LOAD SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed March 50, 1949 2 Sheets-$heet 2 HHHn ATTORNEYJ l atented Aug.

UNITED STATES PATENT other:

poration of- Texas 7 Claims.

material of high specific gravity supporting the same from fifteen to twenty feet above ground,

yet be light enough and arranged in such Tash ion so that it may readily be transported from place to place upon a large truck 'or dolly. In the past, it has been customary with structures of such proportionsand capacity to dismantle them when desired to move them to a new location, and to reassemble them in theirnew location. This isbecauseof the d-ifiiculty encountered handling the heavy and bulky "structure ordinarily required for such a support.

In accordance with this invention, the load support is in the form of a tank structure mounted upon a base having two or more skid members rounded at their opposite ends with the upright supporting columns of the tank extending upwardly from such skid members. "The supporting columns or corner posts are secured rigidly to the base and are secured to each other above the base by various cross members and diagonal bracingso as to form a rigid frame for the sup port of the tank. The tank itself is made of material so light that if left by itself it would not support its load without the bulging of its sides.

However, suitable bracing is employed between these sides intermediate the columns or corner posts, and the corner posts themselves, braced as they are below the tank with respect to each other, serve not only to support the tank against the pull of gravity but to hold its corners against possible breakage, while the intermediate bracing above referred to prevents the sides of the tank from bulging objectionably.

In order that the tank may be more readily transported, two of the columns 01' corner-"posts are made in the form of skids or runners having outwardly presented skid surfaces curved back over the tank and over the frame at their upper ends, so that the tank may be pulled over onto its side and skidded along on these columns. For the purpose of assisting'ih pulling the tank over on its side, suitable tie bar is joined assent PORTABLE Loan sUPPoRTIiiG srRUoTuRE i Arthur R. Kane, Corpus Christi, Tex, assignor to I ,1 V i Bulk Barites, Inc Cor pus Ghristi, Tex, a cor- Application March 30, 1949, Serial No. 84,425

12 r to and extendedbetween the two columns which form runners adjacent their upper ends, and any suitable pulling device may be secured to this bar for the purpose of pulling upon the structure and tilting it over on to its side in which position it will rest upon the runners v.just referred to. For the purposeof assisting in tilting the structure from its horizontal to its upright position, the two skids embodied in the base have their ends adjacent the runner columns extending somewhat beyond the runner columns so that when the normally upper end of the structure is raised, these skid ends will dig into the earth formation and prevent the lower end of the strucand adequate for its purpose and inexpensive to construct.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accom' pa-nying drawings wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example "oneembodimen-t of the invention. i

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away and shown in section for purposes of illustration, showing a portable tank structure made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 isa side view of a tank structure such as that illustrated in Fig. 1, but showing the same in place for transportationupon the bedof a truck-or dolly.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in cross-tsectionand partly in bottom plan, illustrating in iiragmentary enlarged iashionthe valve or release mechanism for drawing off the "contents of the portable tank when the same is in use.

Fig. dis a view partly inside elevation sand partly in vertical cross-section illustrating the structure 'sho-wnin 3. l

Referring now more :in detail to the drawings,

the portable tank structure illustrated, when-in normal-use, rests upon a base consisting of substantialiy parallel beams o'rsk'id members I which are spaced a art and inter-connected by means of cross beams 2. The skid members :1 are each rounded at one end as indicated at 3 so as to provide a runner or skid effect to make them more easily slid over earth formation or other surface upon which the structure may be resting. At their opposite ends, these beams are provided with projecting rounded ends 4 of semi-circular or semi-cylindrical formation so that they may readily be slid toward the rounded ends 4 when resting upon theground or a similar surface.

Extending upwardly from the ends 3 of the skids l are upright columns or corner posts 5,

and similar posts extend upwardly from the adjacent but spaced inwardly from thebeams I ends 4 respectively. The beams 5 and 6, as illustrated, are of L-shaped or angle iron cross-section and are joined together a short distance above the beams 2 by means of laterally extending normally horizontal braces'l, and on substantially the same level as the braces 1, the columns 5 are each joined respectively to the corresponding column 6 by means of braces 8 which may be similar in all respects to the braces 1.

Likewise, a short distance above the braces l, the columns 5 are joined together by braces 9 substantially parallel to the braces i, and each of the columns 5 is joined to the adjacent columns 6 on substantially the same level with the braces 9 bymeans of braces l0.

Diagonal bracing against the stresses exerted upon-the framework in moving it from vertical to horizontal position and vice versa, are dealt with by means of diagonal braces ll extending from substantially the lower ends of the columns 5 respectively to substantially the level of thehorizontal braces 10 where they are joined to the columns 6 respectively. Inasmuch as the major diagonal forces upon this frame will be exerted only in the direction in which the frame is tilted inmoving it to or from its Vertical position, diagonal bracing in a direction at right angles to the braces H is not requiredto be as great as that afforded by the braces II, and. a single diagonal brace l2 extending from the lower end of oneof the columns 5 to the other column 5 at a level substantially that of the brace 9, is found sufficient.

Each of the columns 6 has one of the legs of its L-shaped cross-section provided with a substantially plane surface such as indicated atl3, this surface serving to provide a skid and support forthe structure when the same is in horizontal position. It will be seen that the surfaces 13 on both of the columns 6 will be in substantially the same plane extending longitudinally of these columns, and that these surfaces l3 are bentback over the upper end of the frame at the upper ends of these columns as illustrated at [5- for the purpose of providing curved leading ends to'facilitate sliding of the structure when in its horizontal position. Extending between the columns 6 at their upper ends but spaced inwardly from the surfaces 13 and I4, is a tie bar IE to which a suitable pulling device may be secured for the purpose of tilting the tank structure from its vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, into a horizontal position, as shown in Fig, 2.

Positioned between the columns 5' and 6 and substantially filling the space between them from the braces 9 upwardly to substantially the upper ends of these columns, is a tank having side walls It and I! secured in any desired manner to the columns-5 and '6 respectively. The upperv end of this tank structure may, if desired, be closed by a suitable closure wall such as illus-. trated at 18, and access to the interior of the 4 r tank through this closure wall may be had through a suitable opening which, in this instance, is shown as being surrounded by an upstanding neck portion IQ of a shape and size to receive a, cover 26. The cover 20 may, if desired, be hinged to the tank by means of a pivot 2|.

At its lower end, the tank structure just described is closed by converging walls 22 inclined downwardly and inwardly until they substantially meet at their lower edges. These walls are terminated a short distance from the point at which they would actually meet, and form by their lower edges a substantially square opening from which extends a'conduit 23. This conduit 23 is of short length and is adapted to be closed or opened by means of a valve structure more clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. By reference to these figures, it will be seen that there is a plate member 24 surrounding the conduit 23 just above its lower end, and that this plate member 24 has downwardly depending edge flanges 25 and 26 respectively. The flange 26 is spaced slightly below the flange 25 and has parts extending across beneath the plate 24 and spaced therefrom in such fashion as to provide a guide for the slide member 21. This slide'merm' ber 2'! acts as a valve so that when in the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, it will close the lower end of the conduit 23, but when moved to the left as seenin these figures, it will be operative to bring the opening 28 to the plate 21 beneath the lower end of the conduit 23 and thereby open this lower end of the conduit to permit materials to be discharged from thetank above. For the purpose of moving the slide or plate 21, there is provided a suitable mechanism such as the link 29 pivoted at one end to the plate 21and at its other end, to the free end of a lever 30. The lever 30 is provided with a fulcrum at 31 upon a bracket 32 secured to the depending flange 25, so that when the handle 33 of the lever 30 is swung around clockwise, as seen in Fig. 3, the slide 21 will be moved to theleft to open the' lower end of the conduit 23. For the sake of achieving lightness of construction, and hence, better portability of the structure as well as cheapness thereof, the walls I6 and ll of the tank, while braced at their corners by means of the columns 5 and 6 respectively, are made of the thinnest possible gauge of materiaL' In order to make it possible to use a very thin gauge of material in these walls, so thin in fact that the walls would not support the weight of the substances to be contained therein without objectionable bulging, suitable interior bracing for the tank is provided. In the form illustrated, this bracing is anchored to the thin tank walls by means of reinforcing plates 34 and 35 welded all around their edges to the tank walls. This manner of securing the reinforcing plates 34 and I 35 to the tank walls It and I1 respectively, proby virtue of this structure, the tank walls may be made of very much thinner material than would otherwise be necessary, and yet objectionable bulging of the walls when the tank is loaded will be avoided.

s e i the o table Warra s each a dev ce ladder Q FQS 11 he s de the ank trucn s eseq permitt n access to he tes erect illlls esemnle il ustrat d bedrawinss he teat sq at. e s inte ded fer h su pris ei ba d n ees. a 9f mater als steel to be mixed w t the dr mud used in. d ill n Q1 endear W i cree to prev 9 $9 he ix nso such ma eria with the 1 m an d e tly-as te me r als redr tr m he. tank the lq er menti n of l ft n s struct e ise aeted a ene were bar it withe alve. struc re slew t and; the ea spositi ed dire tl helaw the onetime item t e and 23, ta rec ive materials.the eirqmi and he v lve 3 bei (denied o t e purpos at mete in the m er iremthe ho per 3 .3.5? th smel to th mi d nit e the m e ia drops-through the va v 3 ate h pip t 's. r mptly and t re ehlr mix d w h he mud iu lbr mea s. f a l t of m d trq uqed smhe end Qf pi e 4 thra lsh a small e a d; tted across he o e in m th lve 9- This. hi pr ss e Jet of ud strikin h te lial t fallsir mu the lve 39 serve o th oughly-min t nds ncpr ra e it into t m d fluid.

w th re erenceta F a. the po i n o he p a atus us de cribed s l s ratedas his n.- aratu estsupon he o mn lying upon the ed: 42. of a. ruck or olly. u uck l ies are. ous m r 1yrovi ed. at thei arm s ends V with ro ers-4.3.; ext din hor zon l rq s he rear endiofthe ed s9 ash-f c l tat h o d or heary obiects, he prese t truc ure s p ni liarly designed. for, cooperation with this type of hau n ipmentabove. stated, 1 illustrates the. portable tankdn. its usual operatiye position which it stands. uponthe ba e. which b dies he skid members I. When in this position, it may be moved; from. place. to place by slidingit along as1it=rests0nthe l d m mb rs it ein n ssible for .thesemkidmembers tobe moved either. direction because. of their rounded shapes atctheilta ends 3; and: 4;.

When. itis. desired; to transport the tank structure for a: considerable distance, a suitable pulling mechanism; such. asa cable attached toa winch, isgsecure'd to: thebar I and a truck or dolly of the; type shownlinllitig. 2-is backed up to a point adjacent the tank. As illustrated, it will be; so arrangedthat the roller 43 will at this stage of the procedure extend transvesely of the.col um-ns fi andlsubstantially parallel to the skid; surfaces onlrthese'columns. With force applied through the: pulling-.deviceto the. bar I5, the structure may thenrbe tilted. until the surfaces I3, engage the roller 43 whereupon continued, pulling will cause the device to beatilted: overonto the truck 42 Fur-ther-r pulling. onthe pulling device will causetheentire structure to .be moved forwardly on thetruck bed: 42 until it. occupies a suitable position for: transportation such as illustrated-pin Fig- 2; I

When the :new location. has. been. reached and itis desired:to unload the tank structure and again: cause. it to assume. its. vertical. position, as

il lustrated: in'-Fig. .1, the truck is-moved-with the anch rat a distance hind th r n t e truck is, moved forward sliding as it moves out from under the tank structure. As soon as the truek is moved torward a suflicient distance for the rear end of the tank structure to be overbalanced and-dropped to theground it will be seen that the projecting ends 4 of the beams or skids lwill engage the ground. "These will tend to .dig into the soft ground formation because of the. fact that at this point a great deal of the-weight. of the tank structure will be resting uponthese two projecting members. Then by backward movementof the truck, with the projecting members engaging and sticking into the groundsurfaceso as to prevent the bottom of the tank structure from sliding, the tank along; a flat surface other than a truck bed with the parts 4 overhanging the rear end of the truck. b l this, may be, accomplished because of the semicircular nature of the rounded ends 4. of the b ams. I.

.It will" be apparent that during the loading a d. unloading, operations just described, the diagonal bracing members I I willtake substantiallyall the..diagonal loads. on the frame of the structure and that theseloads will inv nearlyall cases. be insuch directionthat these members willbe. in tension so that they may be madeof smaller cross-section than would be necessary if th y were to-be loaded in compression. This naturally makes for a lighter over-all construction without. sacrificing strength or rigidity, and hence, it makes-pa cheaper and more readily portable structure, Furthermore, it will be noted that all of the. bracing between the columns 5 and fi. ispositioned belowthe tank IB, thereby helping to, balance the weight of the tank struc-- ture. and. avoid aconcentration of weight in the upper portion of the structure. The tank walls themselves serve to some extent to brace and space apart the. columns 5 and 6 adjacent their upper; ends but thebracing of these columns adjaoent theirlower ends enables them .in turn to lend rigidity and strength to the walls of the tank as well as to support the tank properly when, s o ded.

Eromthe foregoin it will readily be seen that a; structure has been provided which carries out and-' fully accomplishes all of the objects and adyantages sO lght; by this invention. It is to.be understood that the structure as illustrated is by way, ofyexample only and is not to be taken asa, imitat on p n; e-sco e o he inv ntion. t will. be. seen-that the invention may assume vari us. forms a l be mad .1 1 o va us len s di fe n om, hose. t d. in h accompanyin r w n s-. 0., 1 s as h ameare incorpor ted, W th n. he erm n f h ppen ed 0 31 1 The inventi n arms: een e cribed w at elaimeda s A LA; portable tank structure; comprising a frameahaving; a normally horizontal base, :a pluralitypf; normally'upright; cohnnns disposed at ispaced-z intervals about and; extending fro saidbase and defining. the corners of a; polygonal space between them, lateral and; diagonal bracing between-portions; of said columns; adjacent; said base and. remote: from: the: ends rQfg' said. columns opposites saidzbase; said; baseihaying: twe opposite and substantially parallel members rounded at their opposite ends to provide skids or runners upon which the structure might be moved when said columns are inupright positio n, the said members each having a free end projecting a substantial distance in its longitudinal direction laterally beyond the adjacent columns, and the columns adjacent corresponding ends of said skid members having skid surfaces presented laterally outwardly with respect to said frame in the same direction as said projecting ends and curved back over the frame at their upper ends to provide skids upon which the structure may be moved when in reclining position, and a tank structure disposed between and joined to the upper free portions of said columns.

2. A portable tank structure comprising a frame having a normally horizontal base, a plurality of normally upright columns disposed at spaced intervals about and extending from said base and defining the corners of a polygonal spacebetween them, lateral and diagonal bracing between portions of said columns adjacent said base and remote from the ends of said columns opposite said base, said base having two opposite andsubstantially parallel members roundedat their opposite ends to provide skids or'runners upon which the Structure might be moved'w'hen said columns are in upright position, the said members each having a free end projecting a substantial distance in its longitudinal direction laterally beyond the adjacent columns, and the columns adjacent corresponding ends of said skid members having skid surfaces presented laterally outwardly with respect to said frame in the same direction as said projecting ends and curved back over the frame at their upper ends to provide skids upon which the structure may bemoved when in reclining position, a tank structure disposed between and joined to the upperfree portions of said columns, and reinforcing plates secured to opposed portions of the innerrwalls of the tank structure intermediate and spaced from said columns and bracing means within said tank joining said reinforcing plates.

3. A portable tank structure comprising a frame having a normally horizontal base, a plurality of normally upright columns disposed at spaced intervals about and extendingfrom said base and defining the corners of a polygonal space between them, lateral and diagonal bracing between portions of said columns adjacent said base and remote from the ends of said columns opposite said base, said base having two opposite and substantially parallel members rounded at their opposite ends to provide skids or runners upon which the structure might be moved when said columns are in upright position, the said members each having a free end projecting a substantial distance in its longitudinal direction laterally beyond the adjacent columns, the columns adjacent corresponding ends of said skid members having skid surfaces presented laterally outwardly with respect to said frame in the same direction as said projecting ends and curved back over the frame at their upper ends to provide skids upon which the structure maybe-moved when in reclining position, a rigid bar joining the upper ends of said columns having said skid sur faces thereon, said rigid bar being disposed in- Wardly of the plane of said skid surfaces whereby it would be supported free of a supporting surface upon which said skid surfaces might rest, and a tank structure disposed between and joined to the upper free portions of said columns.

4. A portable load supporting structure comprising a frame having anormally horizontal base, a plurality of normally upright columns disposed at spaced intervals about and extending from said base and defining the cornersof a polygonal space between them, a load receiving structure connecting and carried on said columns remote from the base, lateral and diagonal bracing between portions of said columns adjacent said base and remote from the ends of'said columns opposite said base, said base having two opposite and substantially parallel members rounded at their opposite ends to provide skids or runners upon which the structure might be moved when said columns are in upright posir tion, the said members each having a free end projecting a substantial distance in its longitudinal direction laterally beyond the adjacent columns, and the columns adjacent corresponding ends of said skid members having skid surfaces presented laterally outwardly with respect to said frame in the same direction as said projecting ends and curved back over the frame at their upper ends to provide skids upon which the structure may be moved when in reclining position.

5. A portable load supporting structure comprising a frame having a normally horizontal base, a plurality of normally upright columns disposed at spaced intervals about and extending from said base and defining the corners of a polygonal space between them, a load receiving structure connecting and carried on said columns remote from the base, lateral and diagonal bracing between portions of said columns adjacent said base and remote from the ends of said columns opposite said base, said base-having two opposite and substantially parallel members rounded at their opposite ends to provide skids or runners upon which the structure might be moved when said columns are in upright position, the said members each having a free end projecting a substantial distance in its longitudinal direction laterally beyond said'columns, the columns adjacent corresponding ends of said skid members having skid surfaces presented laterally outwardly with respect to said frame in the same direction as said projecting ends and curved back over the frame at their upper ends to provide skids upon which the structure may be moved when in reclining position, a rigid bar joining the upper ends of said columns having skid surfaces thereon, said rigid bar being .disposed inwardly of the plane of said skid surfaces whereby it would be supported free of aVsup-. porting surface upon which said skid surfaces might rest.

6. A portable load supporting structure comprising a frame having a normally horizontal base, a plurality of normally upright columns disposed at spaced intervals about and extending from said base and defining the corners of a polygonal space between them, .a load receiving structure connecting and carried on said columns remote from the base, lateral and diagonal bracing between portion of said columns ,adjae cent said base and remote from the ends of said columns opposite said base, said base havingopposite and substantially parallel members rounded at their opposite ends to provide skids or runners upon which the structure might be moved when said columns are in upright posi tion, and the columns adjacent corresponding ends of said skids being also provided with skid surfaces presented laterally outwardly with respect to said frame and curved back over the frame at their upper ends to provide skids upon 9 which the structure may be moved when in reclining position.

7. A portable load supporting structure comprising a frame having a normally horizontal base, a plurality of normally upright columns disposed at spaced intervals about and extending from said base and defining the corners of a polygonal space between them, a load receiving structure connecting and carried on said columns remote from the base, lateral and diagonal bracing between portions of said columns adjacent said base, and remote from the ends of said columns opposite said base, said diagonal bracing comprising tension members extending from points high on one side of said frame and inclined downwardly and toward the opposite side of said frame, said base having opposite and substantially parallel members extending from that side of the frame to which said tension members are connected at high points and toward the opposite side of said frame and be-- ing rounded at their opposite ends to provide skids or runners upon which the structure might 10 be moved when said columns are in upright position, and adjacent columns on that side of the frame to which said members are connected at high points, having skid surfaces presented laterally outwardly with respect to said frame and curved back over the frame at their upper ends to provide skids upon which the structure may be moved when in reclining position.

ARTHUR R. KANE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,203,007 Kegler Oct. 31, 1916 1,686,931 Russell Oct. 9, 1928 1,768,186 Vnuk June 24, 1930 1,846,294 Wiggins Feb. 23, 1932 2,299,702 Mosel Oct. 20, 1942 2,346,436 Krause Apr. 11, 1944 2,417,979 Gilmore Mar. 25, 1947 

